March 07, 2007 --
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish like salmon, are associated
with increased grey matter volume in areas of the brain commonly linked
to mood and behavior according to a University of Pittsburgh study.

Findings
will be presented today by Sarah M. Conklin, Ph.D., postdoctoral
scholar at the Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Program in the
department of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, at the
American Psychosomatic Society's Annual Meeting, held in Budapest,
Hungary.

Animal research has shown that raising omega-3 intake leads to
structural brain changes. In a separate study presented by Dr. Conklin
at the society's meeting last year, Pitt researchers reported that
people who had lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were more
likely to have a negative outlook and be more impulsive. Conversely,
those with higher blood levels of omega-3s were found to be more
agreeable and less likely to report mild or moderate symptoms of
depression. In the study being presented today, the researchers sought
to investigate if grey matter volume was proportionally related to
long-chain omega-3 intake in humans, especially in areas of the brain
related to mood, helping them attempt to explain the mechanisms behind
the improvement in mood often associated with long-chain omega-3 intake.

Researchers
interviewed 55 healthy adult participants to determine their average
intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Grey matter volume was
evaluated using high-resolution structural MRI. The researchers
discovered that participants who had high levels of long-chain omega-3
fatty acid intake had higher volumes of grey matter in areas of the
brain associated with emotional arousal and regulation - the bilateral
anterior cingulate cortex, the right amygdala and the right hippocampus.

While
this finding suggests that omega-3s may promote structural improvement
in areas of the brain related to mood and emotion regulation - the same
areas where grey matter is reduced in people who have mood disorders
such as major depressive disorder - investigators note that more
research is needed to determine whether fish consumption actually
causes changes in the brain.